10 unique book cafes in Korea
Korea is known for many great trends, and among the many unique cultures is the café aesthetic, which embraces different awesome concepts. The cafes in Korea go beyond just being a place for drinking coffee and having a quiet time or a meeting, they have become a haven with mind-blowing interiors and equally captivating outdoor sections.
In Korea, the various kinds of café include the animal café that embraces the idea of having cute animals welcome visitors, the flower café that has its magic embedded in beautiful flowers like a garden of sorts, the character café for those who are fans of certain iconic characters from cartoons or movies, and the book café that seamlessly combines the facilities of a library and a café to give a safe place for serene and cool reading time. The book café is not a new trend, but they have evolved over the past few years since their introduction in the country, to reflect a greater level of creativity and improve the reading and leisure experience for visitors. So, here are ten unique book cafes in Korea.
10 unique book cafes in Korea:
- Sojeonseolim
- Blue Square Book Park
- The Project HUAM
- The Forest Chosochaekbang
- Cafe Comma Hapjeong Branch
- Check n’ Grow café
- Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다 산책)
- Bookers (북커스)
- Jinsun Book Café
- Dangin Book Plant (당인리책발전소)
Are you curious to know more? Keep reading 😌
1. Sojeonseolim
Photo Credit: Storage
Location: 23, Yeongdong-daero 138-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Cheongdam-dong)
Telephone: +82-2-542-0804
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sojeonseolim/
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday (11:00 am – 11:00 pm).
Sunday (9:30 am – 6:00 pm), closed on Monday
Like every book-inclined establishment, Sojeonseolim is loaded with lots of diverse books on literature, philosophy, the arts, and so on. But the main thing that puts it at the top of this list is its exquisite layout and architectural design. So, if you’re expecting an everyday library with a café, you would be blown away by the beauty and tranquillity Sojeonseolim offers. The name Sojeonseolim translates to “a forest of books surrounded by white bricks,” which describes the essence of what the book café offers. Founded in February 2020, there are over 30,000 books on different genres in this book café, with a variety of spots to read and relax. The book curator offers awesome book recommendations; there are private spaces to delve into a book in peaceful solitude, the area called “yedam” exists for those who love to have discussions on art, and visitors can also enjoy the book and arts-related exhibitions.
Let’s look more closely at the uniqueness of this book café. Since it was converted from a private museum into a library/café, it still has the dramatic and artistic elements of the art world. On the first floor is the café that becomes a luxury wine bar at night, and then the library is situated on the first basement floor. When you step into the library, it would be hard to miss the gigantic chair shaped like a goose, and then all the chairs blend with the interior for comfort and style. The hallways come with partitions to give people the choice of a cool personal space, and if one chooses, one can go out onto the terrace to enjoy the fresh air. In all, Sojeonseolim is a work of art and a must-visit if you’re a book lover who loves the pleasure of a drink while reading.
2. Blue Square Book Park
Photo Credit: Seoul World
Location: 294, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Telephone: 0507-1312-0539
Website: http://www.bookpark.com/
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/bookparklounge_official/
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday (11:00 am – 11:00 pm), closed on Monday
Amazing is an understatement when describing Blue Square Book Park with its carefully decorated interior settings and placement of facilities. There is a saying that Seoul is endowed with so many magnificent structures, and Book Park proves the statement true. Occupying the second and third floors of the prominent complex, Blue Square Book Park offers a book-café setting with comfortable reading and sweet relaxation combined. The interior design is so captivating that you feel as if you’ve stepped into another world.
From the comfy one-person chairs to the recliner sofas, bean bags, cool library placement, the bulbs hanging off a book-designed lamp holder, the awesome staircase, the sweet café drink that comes with the ticket purchase, and of course the innumerable number of books, the Book Park lounge is a haven for book lovers who enjoy reading in a serene and classy environment. It’s no surprise that so many dramas have been shot here, including the 2018 film, the 2019 romance is a bonus book, and the 2021 film Nevertheless. So, Blue Square Book Park offers interesting books to read, delicious snacks to devour, a relaxing spot, and cool areas to take lovely pictures.
3. The Project HUAM
Photo Credit: https://visitseoul.net
Location: 69-1, Duteopbawi-ro 1-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Telephone: +82-70-4129-6552
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/huamsharedstudy/
Opening hours: Everyday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 12:00 am
The impressive concept behind Project Huam was to develop a house that serves as a home to a village. When visitors pay a visit, they open the door of a seemingly humble abode to step into the uniquely designed, majestic architecture inside. The idea was to accommodate the diversity of a space; which translated to having many different simple facilities inside the house that have a café, a library, and other spaces for comfort and luxury reading.
When you visit, you open the door yourself, make your own coffee, and attend to your own needs, just as you would in your own home or other unique personal space. Then, you get to unwind in the comfy setting and read as you like. There are two sessions: one during the day and another at night, as the structure cannot accommodate so many people at once. One can say that the aim of having a space providing diverse, quality services has been achieved with the Project HUAM book café.
4. The Forest Chosochaekbang
Photo Credit: Restaurant Guru
Location: 172, Inwangsan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Telephone: +82-2-735-0206
Website: https://chosobooks.com/
Opening hours: Everyday (8:00 am – 10:00 pm)
Who wouldn’t love the luxury of reading cool books while drinking delicious coffee in a glass building, surrounded by the beauty of nature, and having an escape from the heavy buzz of the city? Well, the Forest Chosochaekbang Book Cafe offers these privileges at an affordable fee. This book café, which was once the guard post that stood outside the Blue House over five decades ago, is situated in a forest close to the Inwangsan trail.
Remodelled as a two-story book café and opened to the public in 2020, Forest Chosochaekbang offers a lovely view of Seoul while reading books on diverse and interesting topics and is a nice spot for hikers to relax after exercise. The mouthwatering, freshly baked pastries and bread are another sweet highlight of this book café, especially the signature Café Latte, Americano, and Espresso. Let’s not forget the outdoor transparent tents with comfortable seats for those who prefer reading time on the deck.
5. Cafe Comma Hapjeong Branch
Photo Credit: Trippose
Location: 49, Poeun-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Hapjeong-dong)
Telephone: +82-70-4179-2205
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/cafecomma__official/
Opening hours: Everyday (10:00 am – 10:00 pm)
There is no list of unique book cafes in Korea, without mentioning the Café Comma, renowned for its incredible design-concept and atmospheric aura. Café Comma falls under the category of “book café” in Korea, but it is much more than that. It is actually a publishing company merged with a book café; which accounts for its use of an entire building and the different floors with distinctive layouts.
From the floor to the ceiling, you would find stylish shelves loaded with books from different genres, and enough room to pick a personal spot to read. The atmosphere is saturated with the appealing scent of drinks, coffee, bread, and other pastries, so your nose would be satisfied even if you decided not to order anything. The layout of the reading area and the way the shelves are organised make you feel as if you’ve entered a magical world of books and food, making Café Comma a really cool book café to visit.
6. Check n’ Grow café
Photo Credit: Korea By Me
Location: 31 Mapo-daero 4da-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Telephone: +82 50-71341-0325
Website: https://checkngrow.modoo.at/?link=xgpk64zy
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/check_grow/
Opening hours: Everyday (10:00 am – 10:00 pm)
Stepping away from the conventional bookstore with loaded shelves, merged with a place to get a snack or coffee, Check n’ Grow café took a classical path to create a fantasy world. In the book café business, this fine establishment certainly screams uniqueness and elegance. Check n’ Grow café occupies six floors, from the first floor to the third floor, then the sixth, eighth, and ninth floors. When you step in, it would be hard to miss the large window that provides a nice view of the Han River, giving the aura of a simple day out while reading a book. The awesome thing about this window is that it illuminates the book café during the day and reflects the blurry beauty of the night in the evenings, and the placement of chairs ensures that the rays don’t disturb visitors who prefer the window side.
Each floor in the Check n’ Grow café offers a different type of luxury. The first floor houses a Korean restaurant with local dishes that promise to be a delight to the tummy. The second floor is for the bookworms, as it is filled with academic books from major universities in the country, books on business and life, and even novels too. The third floor is the place to go for English books of various genres, with its collection making reading a pleasure. What makes the sixth floor so unique are the flowers and plants that decorate the area, the transparent glasses for a relaxing view, and the serene reading space it provides. On the eighth floor is a café for food and drinks, as well as tables by the side to accommodate those who prefer a snack on one hand and a book on the other. Finally, the ninth floor comes with a mini-library and an open terrace to enjoy fresh air or escape the heat during hot weather. Check n’ Grow Café is unquestionably one of Korea’s most unique book cafes.
7. Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다 산책)
Photo Credit: Naver
Location: 101 Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Telephone: 02-747-7147
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/ujd.promenade/
Opening hours: Everyday (12:00 – 9:00 pm)
The Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다산책) establishment is another exceptional book café in Korea. One could say it is one of the hidden gems in Seoul, as it is not situated in a popular area, but that takes nothing away from the fact that it is a cool place to visit. Opened in 2019, it is located on the basement level of the Hyundai Elevator Company Ltd. building. It is divided into two amazing sections—the indoor area and the outdoor courtyard.
Indoors, you would find the bookstore on one side and the café on the other. It is so quiet and well-organised. There is a group-type table and other smaller unit areas for solo or small-group visitors. When you step out, you are greeted by the peaceful aura and charming elements of nature like the plants, gravel, and rocks. In all, Uhjjuhdah Promenade is a really cool and refreshing book café to visit, with the concept of a simple, but a very homey and comfy place to relax and delve into a good book.
8. Bookers (북커스)
Photo Credit: Mango Plate
Location: 458-8 Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Telephone: +82 2-394-4588
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday (11:00 am – 11:00 pm), closed on Monday.
Bookers have everything one could want when a bookstore meets a café to create a pleasing and interesting setting. It is situated in a neighbourhood renowned for its artistic atmosphere, with the presence of several museums, galleries, and artist workshops, among other things. Bookers have a collection of different, interesting books to read, and you can’t go wrong with the drinks and meals, especially the signature caffe latte and sandwich.
Although Bookers is not as gigantic as some other book cafes, people love to visit because its interior decoration displays a warm and welcoming aura, and the books are displayed in an enticing and classy way. Plus, let’s not forget that it is usually very quiet, and after quality reading time; you also get to explore the beautiful neighbourhood of Pyeongchang Dong. So, at the end of the day, Bookers is one of the most unique book cafés one can find in Korea.
9. Jinsun Book Café
Photo Credit: Seoul Free Sophie
Location: 59 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Telephone: +82 2-737-5977
Opening hours: Everyday (10:30 am – 9:00 pm)
When you enter the Samcheong-dong neighbourhood, you will come across the simple but classy Jinsun Book Café. Opened in 1997 and later remodelled in 2014, Jinsun Book Café houses a café and the publishing house, Jinsun Publishers. The garden-like terrace is the welcoming view you would meet on a visit to this book café. Then, when you stepped into the building, the sweet scent of coffee and pastries would envelop you, while you were mesmerised by the chic interior décor.
This environment provides a quiet and comfortable setting to read and explore all the books available in the café. Jinsun Book Café has such a stylish architectural design and old-fashioned concept; it is no shocker that it has been featured in several Korean dramas.
10. Dangin Book Plant (당인리책발전소)
Photo Credit: Naver
Location: 10-8, World Cup-ro 14-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Opening hours: Everyday (10:00am – 10:00pm)
If you’re searching for a quiet place to read and chill with a nice drink, then you should consider visiting the Dangin Book Plant. With a simplistic approach, this book café has a tall shelf with a variety of books to read, and delicious snacks and drinks to devour.
These book cafes are unique for their one-of-a-kind architectural design and concept in embedding a café with a library; to make reading a pleasurable experience.